Too Late to Apologize
by Sally Michaels
Summary: Joe's older cousin has come to live with the Talbots and strange things are happening. David's grades are slipping, Sam wears make up, Wishbone's edgy, Ellen is grieving over the loss of her sister and Joe is left to pick up to pick up the pieces
1. Happy Ending

**Title: **Too Late To Apologize

**Summary: **Joe's older troubled cousin, Kyle, comes to live with the Talbot family, after the death of Ellen's sister. Now strange things are happened, Wishbone is suspicious and is unfriendly to Kyle, Damont was caught smoking, David's grades are failing, and now Sam is wearing make up and acting weird. Joe's piecing it together and the facts all lead up to, Kyle his cousin! **Drama/Angst/Romance **

**AN: **This fan fic was inspired by the beloved children's program, Wishbone, and by various music artists, including but not limited to, Timberland, Allison Krauss, Avril Lavigne, Linkin Park, Switchfoot, and Guster. The poetry belongs to me, and much of the lyrics were provided initially by my inspired music. The chapters you may have noticed are the names of songs. In addition, I own Bess, Rick and Kyle Landen, Ashley Fitzgerald, and Chet Ansley, and any other characters that are not from the Wishbone series. There are many references to various real television shows, products, and real locations and people. Additionally, this piece does not contain any of portions or summaries of "A classic tale" as they have in the episodes. Like example, "Twisted Tales" was an episode where Joe's new friend Max is being bullied by a thief, and interwoven with it is scenes from Charles Dickens, "Oliver Twist." This fan fic is purely the modern setting and tightly focuses on the Talbot family and Sam Kepler. One last note, this is not from Wishbone's point of view. He throws in some commentary once in a while, but the entire story switches back and forth between various human characters.

**Warning: Rated Teen. **Drug abuse, sexual refrences and encounters, language, and adult themes

**Thanks to: **Wishbone first and foremost! And to fan for allowing me to express myself. And to my best friend Krista and my brother Thane for making life a lot clearer and to anyone who reads and enjoys my work.

**Too Late To Apologize**

**Chapter One. Happy Ending**

_You were everything, everything that I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it  
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending  
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..._

The early autumn air was warm and comfortable. The leaves were still as green as they had been in June, though it was September. And people were treating life it was still summer. Barbecues, bike rides, flip-flops.

Joe Talbot, David Barnes, and Sam Kepler were riding their bikes home from school, Wishbone trotting around the wheels. Their conversation was enthused and childish.

"Mr. Prewett gave practically no homework and you know what that means!" Joe exclaimed happily.

"Movie night!" David and Sam said in unison.

"_Movie night! Yes! Movies means treats!"_ Wishbone thought.

They rolled into Joe's driveway and parked their bikes. Joe saw that his mother's car wasn't home. "My mom's out, let's get something to eat." He said, and six pairs of feet, plus four paws stampeded up the front porch and trooped into the kitchen.

Then, while they were munching on cookies and lemonade, David said, "What should we watch?"

"Something scary!" Joe said instantly.

"_Ahh! Run for cover! The thrills of thriller movies!"_ Wishbone thought, lapping up water in his bowl.

"But what's scary that we haven't seen?" Sam joked, and the trio laughed, having cleared straight through the children's section of scary movies at local movie rental.

"Frankenstein?" David offered. Joe shrugged. "Seen it."

"Spooky!" Sam cooed in pretend fright.

Then, the phone rang. Joe went to go pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, who is this?" the voice on the other end was a teenage boy's voice, older than Joe. He sounded panicked.

Joe felt confused, "Joe Talbot" he answered.

"Joe, this is Kyle, your cousin." Kyle said somewhat frantically.

"Oh hey, how are you?" Joe said warmly, wondering why Kyle sounded so upset.

"I'm awful, listen, where's your mom? I need to talk to Aunt Ellen." Kyle was impatient.

"Uh, she's still at work, I think. She'll be here in awhile. Why?" Joe felt nervous.

Kyle was quiet for a moment before he said weakly. "My mom and dad just died."

Joe felt like someone had punched him hard in the gut. He almost dropped the phone. He couldn't say a word, he just stood there, frozen, and breathed into the phone. David and Sam put down their glasses, and looked at him in concern. "What's wrong, Joe?" Sam said.

"_Uh, Joe, you ok? You look like you're about to be sick."_ Wishbone thought uncertainly, circling around Joe's sneakers.

"Are you sure?" Joe said into the phone.

Kyle swallowed. "Yes, in a car crash. Their bodies are at the hospital. I now have no one. You guys live the closest. I need to talk to Aunt Ellen." he seemed to have a hard time talking.

"Yes, yes, of course." Joe said automatically. "I'll, I'll call my mom at work, and have her come home. But, but it may be a while, how can we reach you?"

Kyle gave Joe his cell phone number, Joe scrawled it down on a piece of yellow stationary paper than his mother kept by the phone. "Hurry." Kyle begged.

"I'll try." Joe told him, and hung up. And suddenly he realized that he didn't even offer words of comfort to Kyle, didn't even say he was sorry.

He turned and stared at his two best friends, who watched him anxiously.

"What is it? Tell us!" David pleaded.

Suddenly, the once perfect Friday had been destroyed; Joe's small world became much older and grayer.

"My Aunt Bess and Uncle Rick just died in a car crash, that was my cousin Kyle on the phone. He was totally upset and wants me to get my mom to come home and call him. He's all alone now, he's sixteen, and I guess he's an orphan. Maybe, someone will adopt him." Joe said blankly, watching David and Sam's face twist in horror.

"_Whaaaaa!! Bess, Rick, gone? They always used to give me baloney! And now, Kyle's all alone? Impossible! There must be some mistake!"_ Wishbone thought wildly, prancing around the kitchen. The three kids ignored him.

"That's awful!" David gasped. "Joe, I'm so sorry!" Sam told him earnestly.

Joe shook his head, "Thanks, ahh, I don't know, I guess I should call my mom." So he did, he told her all he knew of the situation. She didn't say much. "I'm coming home." She told him.

Then Joe said quietly to his friends, "You guys should go home. No movie tonight."  
David and Sam didn't argue.


	2. Numb

Chapter Two. Numb

I've become so numb I can't feel you there

I've become so tired so much more aware

I'm becoming this all I want to do

Is be more like me and be less like you

Joe sat in the front of his mother's small station wagon, waiting nervously at the bus stop. He watched his mother's tired eyes zoom back and forth in front of the road, waiting for the Peter Pan bus to come. Her fingers still on the steering wheel. He was sweating in his nice shirt; the afternoon sun was directly beaming on him. He squirmed and wished he were spending this precious spare time with David instead of waiting at the empty bus stop for his lone cousin.

"Mom, isn't he late?" he asked her. She shook her head slightly, her eyes never leaving the road. Joe sighed. It had been a quiet last five or six days.

Last Friday when they had received the nightmarish phone call, and Ellen had come home. She called Kyle and talked a social worked and worked it out that now Ellen would have full custody of Kyle, since he was minor and that it was left in his parent's will.

So, now he was coming with Miss Orrington, the social worker. His mother hung up the phone, and went to bed. She didn't even get up to make dinner. Joe was left to fend for himself so he and Wishbone gulped down the leftover meatloaf in the fridge.

And it was like that for a few days; Ellen lay in her bed, in her darkened room, staring at the clock, saying nothing. It scared Joe but he knew it was his mom's way of grieving, she had done the last time, when Joe's dad had passed away. He didn't remember very much but he knew that Miss Gilmore and Nana Maria had taken care of him because his mother was in bed.

But the day of Kyle coming, she rose, showered and dressed, and once again, approached life. She made breakfast and Joe ate it hungrily, albeit that the pancakes were half-raw. His mother had been distracted and shaky, but as she sat slowly down at the table, she told Joe, "Kyle's grief must be a lot deeper than mine. We need to be very understanding and gentle with him."

So, Ellen had set aside her own hurt, in order to extend herself and comfort's others in their pain. It was an amazingly selfless thing to do. Joe could scarcely fathom the amount of inner strength it took.

His mother clearing her throat broke Joe out of his unhappy thoughts, "There he is." She said quietly, getting out the car. Joe got out too, and saw Kyle standing with some tall kind looking woman. Ellen walked up to them, and embraced Kyle tightly. Joe stayed by the car, he felt uncomfortable.

He studied his cousin thoughtfully. Kyle was tall, and dark haired. Green empty eyes, fashionable clothes, and a nonchalant manner, he definitely looked normal and…to not put too fine a point on it, cool. Joe used to play with his cousin when they were little but then Kyle hit fourteen and considered toy's too babyish and ten year old Joe was crushed. He remembered his cousin being quieter than him, but creative and funny. He always had good ideas for games and for Christmas when Kyle was ten and Joe was six, Kyle got a fancy pair of roller blades and he had generously let Joe wobble around in them.

That seemed like forever ago, and Joe realized that now, he didn't even what kind of person Kyle was. Sure, they got together for holidays and reunions but Joe mostly hung out with nine-year-old Derek, and Kyle sat at the table with adults, talking about stuff Joe didn't get.

Ellen talked to the woman briefly, Joe couldn't hear what they were saying, and Kyle shifted his heavy duffel bags from one arm to the other. Then, the woman and Ellen were done, the woman turned and said something to Kyle, he just nodded back at her. The woman left, and Ellen led Kyle to the car. Kyle walked past Joe without saying a word, and helped his aunt load his abundant luggage into the trunk. Then, Ellen said, "Ok, Joe, why don't you hop in the back?"

Joe grimaced, he hated sitting in the back, there wasn't enough room, his legs got cramped, and it was always too hot back there. But now since Kyle was here, he'd have to get used to it.

"Sure." He mumbled, getting in.

Kyle got in the front and the drive home was just as silent as the one there. Ellen said nothing, lost in her own world. And Kyle didn't seem chatty, but Joe had the urge to break the thick silence. He cleared his throat.

"So, um, how was your trip, Kyle?" he nearly squeaked in nervousness.

Kyle turned around in his seat and made eye contact with Joe, he gave a thin smile. "Not bad, buddy, how've you been?

"Alright, just started the sixth grade." Joe said. Kyle nodded, "Ahh, yeah, I remember sixth grade, tough year. But you're a tough kinda guy, huh?" and grinned at Joe in a very adultish but friendly manner. Joe felt emboldened, Kyle basically just complimented him!

"I think I'm gonna like having him around!" Joe thought.


	3. Welcome to My Life

**Chapter Three. Welcome to My Life**

_To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like  
Welcome to my life_

"You'll be sharing with Joe until we get the spare fixed up. You may be a little cramped, but it's only temporary." Ellen said, laying the luggage down on the floor. Kyle sat down on one of the twin beds. "Oh, no biggie. I don't mind this at all." He assured his aunt.

Joe wasn't so sure that it'd be so easy, he'd never shared sleeping space before except for David occasionally on sleepovers, and even then, it was uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he said nothing.

"Well, ok then." Ellen smiled. "Why don't you go ahead and unpack, Joe, help him. And I'll start dinner. Tell me if you need anything." She left, shutting the door behind her. Kyle sighed. Joe looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, if she annoys you. She can nag sometimes. She just has been really stressed lately." He said. Kyle grinned, and half-heartedly shrugged, "Ehh, my mom was worse." He replied. He glanced around, "Nice room." He commented. Joe was flattered. "Thanks,"

Wishbone trotted in, _"And looooook who it is! My favorite cousin!"_ he thought happily, sniffing Kyle's expensive Vans. "Hey, boy!" Kyle said pleasantly, leaning down to scratch Wishbone head.

Wishbone thumped his tail gleefully. "He likes you." Joe remarked. Kyle said nothing, and he didn't move to unpack.

"Maybe he doesn't feel like getting rushed." Joe thought to himself. "Hey, um, wanna see the neighborhood?" he offered.

"Sure." Kyle said simply, then he followed Joe out, and they went quietly past the kitchen where they could hear Ellen chattering away on the phone to Wanda Gilmore, the next-door neighbor, about creamy steak sauce.

And out into the beautiful Texas late afternoon. They strolled down the sidewalk, soaking up the sunshine. Joe waved to random people out on their porches, and walking their dogs. "Shoot, shoulda brought Wishbone." Joe suddenly exclaimed, snapping his fingers in frustration. "Ehh, he'll live." Kyle said easily. Joe glanced up at him, and a swift wave of admiration came over him. He watched Kyle walk. What about him was so cool? Well, he swaggered more when he walked, his clothes were expensive, and probably the latest fad, and he was good looking, Joe knew that, even being a boy himself. Kyle had such an aura of confidence, unflappable nonchalance, and detached interest. He was chilly, yet you were dying for him to talk. It was strange, but Joe had to admit, Kyle had been always this way. Taciturn, yet brilliant. Aloof, and yet attention grabbing. Joe wished he could adopt the same suave slackness.

Then, he saw David and Sam sitting beneath the big old oak at the edge of the park. He waved and called to them. "Those are my best friends." He informed Kyle, who nodded briefly.

"They're cool, David's a computer whiz, and Sam's a soccer champion." Joe told him. Kyle looked up and saw Sam's long blonde ponytail. "One of em's a girl?" he seemed surprised. "Uh, yeah." Joe wondered if that was supposed to be a big deal. "Why?"

Kyle shook his head quickly, "Nothing."


	4. Big Big Kid

**Chapter Four. Big Big Kid**

_We ride big big cars  
And big big rims  
And we rock big clothes   
With them big big timbs  
Got big cribs  
Cause we got big crib  
Im a real big kid  
cause we do it real big_

Sam squinted her eyes in the harsh daylight. "That must be him." She said to David, who was fiddling with a dissembled radio. He twisted his screwdriver ceaselessly. "Who?"

"Joe's cousin, you know, Kyle, the one who's coming to live with him! Joe's been talking about him all week!" She sighed, He's the one who…you know, lost his parents." She added quietly.

"Oh, that one." David said, more interested, he looked up and saw Joe and a tall dark haired boy walking with him. They were still out of earshot. "I wonder if he's nice." Sam mused aloud.

"He probably is." Was David unconcerned reply.

"It'll be weird having him around, it used to be only Joe and Mrs. Talbot at his house, and if he isn't nice, it won't be fun to hang out there anymore." Sam worried, they were coming closer.

David thought about that for a second. "You're right." He decided, and then he scrutinized Kyle more closely. "He looks mean." David accused. Sam rolled her eyes, but for some strange reason, her stomach was in a funny knot. "Why am I am excited?" she asked herself. Then, she patted her hair, and ran her tongue over her teeth.

Joe strode across the grass, and knelt by them, and the so-called Kyle next to him.

"Hey, guys! Kyle, this is my two best friends, David Barnes, and Sam Kepler. Guys, this is my cousin, Kyle Landen, whose come to live with my mom and I." Joe's speech seemed a little rushed and awkward.

However, Kyle didn't seem to care, he extended his hand out to David cordially. "Hey, how ya doin'?"

David shook Kyle's hand a bit apprehensively, and then Kyle turned to Sam but didn't offer a handshake.

"I'm good, how about you?" Sam said, _"Oh my gosh! That was stupid! How was he? Bad, of course! His parents are dead! Oh, I am so insensitive! What a jerk!" _her mind screamed.

Nevertheless, Kyle showed no hurt, he just smiled pleasantly. "Very well, thanks." He glanced at David's radio. "Whatcha working on?" he asked, comfortably situating himself on the grass next to Sam.

David looked thrilled that someone had taken a notice, so he proceeded to rattle on about the different modifications he was making to the radio. Sam barely heard a word.

She was looking down, at Kyle's hands. They were tan and his nails were short, slightly chewed on. His hands looked heavy, warm, strong. Sam had never looked at a man's before really but she was sure that Kyle's were the most beautiful hands in the world.

He was still listening to David, nodding politely. Sam marveled how interested he seemed. She personally couldn't stand it when David rambled, especially about stuff she didn't get.

Then, something odd happened. Kyle turned a little back as he leaned back on his arms and glanced at Sam lazily. She smiled, and suddenly, he winked at her. Sam was shocked. She had never been winked at! She wasn't sure what to do, she knew that winking was flirtatious, but she certainly never thought about it really being done to her before. The boys at school and at soccer liked her too much as friend to consider her as anything else.

Then, as quick as it happened, Kyle snapped his attention back to David was now talking about electrical currents, and even Joe was looking bored.

Sam tried to concentrate but her brain was reeling. She waited, wondering if he would do it again. Several minutes passed, he didn't. Sam didn't know why but she wanted him to do it again, she wanted to wink back. She had never tried it. Maybe she would today, on Kyle.

She kept waiting, David kept talking, Joe kept shifting, Kyle kept nodding, and Sam was sure that never had ten minutes lasted so long.

After David paused to catch his breath, Joe jumped at the chance. "Hey, David, let's go to your place and show Kyle your awesome gaming system!"

'That sounds awesome." Kyle said, and David was agreeable so they set off to the Barnes' house. Sam lagging behind, watching Kyle walk. He swaggered, she liked his back pockets.

She wondered why she felt so shy around him. She had always been so assertive before.

But things were different now.

"This is my PlayStation, and I got Star Craft and Jazz Jack rabbit!" David bragged, hooking up the cords to the hand controls.

Kyle nodded but appeared unimpressed. "Where's your computer?" he asked, Sam sat on the bed, and watched Joe begin the first level of Crystal Caves, Sam's favorite.

Kyle wandered over to David's PC and sat in the swivel chair. "Got internet?"

David nodded as he picked up the second controller and began playing with Joe. Since the multi player only could have two, Sam stood up and feeling a bit awkward, went and stood next to Kyle as he typed in, _"Black Sheep" _into a search engine.

"What's that?" Sam was curious. Kyle looked up at her smiled, and she felt suddenly short of breath. "Oh, he's a rapper." Kyle said easily.

"Oh." Was all Sam could say without panting. A series of song lists and lyrics and photos of an African American man popped onto the screen. Kyle clicked on, "Listen now!"

"Where are your speakers?" Kyle looked around. "On the left," David's answered, his eyes never leaving the flickering television.

Kyle found them and switched them on. Heavy rap pounded out, Sam was surprised, she had never listened to this kind of music before. None of them had, it was older kid stuff.

"_I turn on the radio  
Be a prime time to a late night rap show  
Here, the same old, same old  
And that's on your, new single  
Your product, is a product, of no productivity  
Can ya, see G?  
You kick a wack style  
And claim to have brains  
Take the funky drummer and give him back to James  
I'm dope, I'm dope  
Heh, I can't cope  
Keep your cordless, cause you bore this  
You say you're sure, yeah  
but I'm the surest  
That, Black Sheep are unique  
Funk clever brothers that will  
make the church girl freak  
Out, without a doubt  
You have no wins in a '91 bout  
So shout, pout,do what you want  
But you're out the picture  
And I'ma get you sucka  
Cause youse a dumb mothafucka  
Better off as a tractor trail trucker  
But movin right along to the Woodstock  
Stop, remember when the band was on rock  
Negro music, heh, seperated  
It blew up and became rap  
and you hated it  
That's of course till you see  
A motherfucker that, could be in your family  
Drop lyrics then you hear it  
With glee, then only thing it tells me  
Is that you know a good thing  
when you see it.  
You run to get a ten  
Cause you cannot be it  
So, off the top off my head  
I guess I keep it rollin  
Till aaaaaaah... the rap gets stolen  
Like so many other things called theft  
And when it's gone what will be left  
YOU sucker, dumb fucker don't turn blue  
You know what?  
Talkin' to you  
You know what?  
Chump  
You know what?  
You know what?  
You know What?"_

Kyle bobbed his head to the beat, and Joe and David looked up, startled. "What is that?" David demanded.

"Rap, what else?" Kyle replied, he clicked download and began loading other pages on.

Joe listened for a minute, and then grinned. It was cool music, if Kyle liked it, then it must be cool. 'I like it." He said.

Sam started to say something and then she heard the man say, "Muthafucka," she gasped. "He swore."

"So?" Kyle didn't seem to care. Joe's smile dropped, and David looked nervous. "Turn that down, my parents will hear it." He said. "So?" Kyle said again, but he turned it down anyway.

Now all three younger kids stood huddled around Kyle in his chair, watching him download and play numerous obscene rap tunes and watched music videos with men in baggy pants and women in tiny skirts.

Sam watched Kyle's reaction; he seemed transfixed by the dirty dancing, as were Joe and David.

"That's hot." Kyle said, and Sam was shocked when she heard Joe and David agree. 'Yeah, that is."

"Those girls! Did you check out there boobs? Damn." Kyle drawled. Joe flushed and looked at his shoes but David looked as if he was fueled by it. "Yeah," he said again, his eyes glazed over. Sam remained mute, too embarrassed to say anything. She didn't understand why the boys had been so into those women, they were just dancing and moving their rears. It wasn't cool, she didn't get it. She was confused and humiliated. She said nothing.

"Kyle, we should get home." Joe said finally, red faced and shy. Kyle nodded, "A'ight," he clicked out of the music video and stretched.

"Nice meeting y'all." He said, transforming into the very image of politeness once again. When David and Sam neither replied, he leaned in and said to David quietly, "Dude, ya like that stuff?" David could only nod hungrily.

"Then type naked college babes in. That'll bring up way hotter stuff." Kyle slapped David on the back genially.

Sam recoiled in horror but David ate his words up, "Really?"

Kyle winked, "Trust me. Cya later." And he and Joe shut the door quietly behind them.

David looked at Sam again, she couldn't meet his eyes. "Don't look at that stuff, David. It's weird." She pleaded. But David didn't hear her. "I should do my homework. Bye." He said, his tone detached.

Sam nodded and fled, tears burning her eyes.

"Bye Sam! Take care!" Mrs. Barnes called from the kitchen.

"Thanks, Mrs. Barnes! I won't!" she said, slamming the door and running for her life, towards home.

_Leave more reviews!!!! I want to know what you think! Adjustments? Errors? Comments! Gimme a holla!_


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